Hun Sen

Hun Sen (5 August 1952-) was the Premier of Cambodia from 14 January 1985 to 2 July 1993, succeeding Chan Sy and preceding Norodom Ranariddh and again from 30 November 1998, succeeding Ung Huot. Hun Sen was previously a leader of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, a splintergroup of the Khmer Rouge, and he seized power from his former communist comrades as a dictator.

Biography
Hun Sen was born on 5 August 1952 in Kampong Cham, Kingdom of Cambodia, and in 1970 he joined the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War. He later left the Khmer Rouge to join the splintergroup, the People's Republic of Kampuchea, and he sided with them against Pol Pot during the Cambodian-Vietnamese War. Hun Sen served as Foreign Minister from 1979 to 1986 and from 1987 to 1990, and in 1985 he was appointed to succeed Chan Sy as Prime Minister of Cambodia, leading the country. In 1993, he was forced to hand power to Norodom Ranariddh, but he returned to power in 1998 after a coup. Hun Sen used a secret police to eradicate opponents of his rule, and he used violence, fear, and corruption to consolidate his rule, which continued for almost 20 more years.